Rock Every Kani Ka Pila!
Unlock a surefire approach for every Hawaiian song. Whether picking, strumming, or solo arranging, you’ll become a confident jammer on your way through the five classics in Hawaiian Songs for Ukulele.
- Practice plans
- TAB lead sheets
- 80 backing tracks
- 6+ hours of lessons
- Three approaches to each song
Watch the preview video!
Imagine having the confidence to roll up to an authentic Hawaiian kani ka pila, pull out your ukulele, and start playing.
You hit every chord from memory (or by ear), sing the ʻōlelo correctly, and bust out a solo. No stiff rhythm, no guessing what notes to play, just pure expression.
Hawaiian Songs For ʻUkulele brings a traditional learning style to the ukeweb so that you can become an off-the-cuff, backyard-style uke jammer, anywhere in the world.
What a great course! I learned a ton and feel like these songs are a part of me now. The heart and honesty shines through in your work. Thanks!
~Stephen Smith
Sounding Hawaiian starts with learning Hawaiian-style
Most of the ukulele learning material available today is fluff, focused on getting you playing “fast” and “easy.”
Hawaiian music is neither fast nor easy to learn (but it is tremendously fun and rewarding!). It deserves – and requires – dedication and an eye for detail.
In Hawaiian Songs For ʻUkulele, you become comfortable with the components of music so that you get to develop skills in a Hawaiian-style way.
Instead of reading off a sheet, you’ll start feeling the music – that’s when you begin to finally sound Hawaiian.
Sounds and looks great! Well done! Makes me want to bust out my ukuleles and jam along.
– Keoki Kahumoku – Performer on five Grammy winning compilation albums
What You Get
By the end of this course, you’ll not only have five great songs in your repertoire, you’ll be comfortable playing any Hawaiian style music on your uke.
Each of the 25 lesson videos is shot with two HD cameras. One for close-ups, one wide frame.
- “Nani Kaʻala”
- “Aloha Ka Manini”
- “Ahe Lau Makani”
- “Ua Noho Au A Kupa”
- “Heha Waipiʻo”
These fun, timeless songs provide a fantastic sandbox for exploring the island ukulele sound.
Brad, your approach to learning is so different from others and I love it! I’ve learned so much from just the first song.
– William Moeller
There are four HD video lessons per song:
- How to pick the melody
- How to strum the chords and sing
- How to play a basic solo arrangement
- How to freestyle an advanced solo arrangement
You’ll also learn about some general aspects of Hawaiian music like vamps and playing with the right feeling in a handful of videos outside of the song lessons.
In this video you can hear a snippet of each song. I’m playing interpretations based loosely on the solo arrangements we’ll learn.
Every song has a TAB lead sheet transcription that shows the picking melody (TAB and standard notation), chords, and lyrics. There is also background information about the songs and resources for learning more.
There are 80 high-quality backing tracks that cover multiple instrument variations for each song at a performance tempo and a -25% tempo. For instance, if you want to practice picking the lead melody, you can use a backing track without singing so you can play your role in the “band.”
“Ahe Lau Makani” backing track without vocals
“Aloha Ka Manini” backing track all parts with click track
Each lesson has a comments section where you can ask questions and compare notes with fellow students. There is also a forum section for sharing performance videos and general Hawaiian music discussion.
I find the course very interesting and enjoy learning the meaning of the songs. … What surprises me is that from the lead sheet the songs seem really simple but they sound really Hawaiian. I like the solo arrangements you teach … as you say it’s all about finding your own ways to play a song and that is what I’m trying to do. Anyway I like this course and will keep returning to it over and over.
– Joanna Vandenberg
How Students Have Improved
Here are some first-hand improvement stories from Hawaiian Songs For Ukulele students.
Your course is amazing and very well structured. So much to learn and absorb. The Hawaiian word meanings are very helpful. I like that you teach basic and advanced too. This course goes well with finger picking uke and guitar classes I am taking locally. Cool!
You have put a lot of time and effort into this course so big mahalos.
– Tom K
Mahalo Brad for all your uke lessons. Because of your lessons my playing has improved a lot.
– Bettina Robinson
I really like the course so far. I’m taking it slowly … practicing it as I go and also listening to Hawaiian music and even reading Hawaiian history. … I’m glad for the course and it has been my goal for some time to learn some Hawaiian music. I enjoy your teaching style. Thanks so much. It’s great that modern technology allows for home instruction like this.
– Susan Kubeska
…at first I was slightly peeved, because there wasn’t necessarily instruction on how to exactly replicate and play and sound like you in your rendition in each of the songs…
But I stuck with it and since then have seen the LIGHT! and the freedom to improvise and develop my skills and ear has been discovered. Thank you for providing the foundation, inspiration, and support to send me on my music journey.
– Kai Frank
Your instruction on learning by ear is a big confidence booster. I can learn most songs, eventually, by reading chord diagrams or picking out notes from a tab sheet. However, those end up being unsatisfying because I worry about making mistakes, missing a note, or fumbling a chord transition. Even when I don’t make a mistake, the music often seems to lack life. If I’m playing with others, it becomes a real chore to stay with the group.
I think the joy of ‘ukulele is in kani ka pila with other musicians. When I have a sheet of music in front of me, I feel like I’m playing behind a wall. I watch you, Ledward, Bryan Tolentino, Peter DeAquino, and others playing at George’s workshop, and I see an element of music that goes beyond skill and technical artistry. Hell, it’s just fun…
That’s why I like your approach to music. I admit that I have a lot to learn, but when I try to follow you by ear, I feel more connected to the music. Great lessons!
– Mark Troy, Texas
Here’s my attempt at … one with a high G.
“I’m having a blast with “Nani Ka’ala” so far. I took your advice and avoided downloading the tabs in favor of learning by ear and watching. The language pronunciation lessons and backing tracks have been so helpful. There is so much useful material to work on with this song alone, but I can see how it all applies to anything I choose to play. So glad you have put in the time and thought this out so clearly. The backing tracks really help with my timing, and this course is geared toward every level of player. Thanks again.”
– Bob Seeley – Venice, CA
FAQ
What do the songs sound like?
You can hear snippets of me playing solo arrangements of each song in the video above. If you want to hear some more classic Hawaiian recordings, here are popular renditions of each song:
What level player is this course for?
There is something for everybody as long as you can strum a few chords and keep a beat.
Beginner players will learn to strum the chords, intermediate players will memorize the melody, and advanced players will improvise their own solo arrangements. There are plenty of challenges for any level between.
What if I’ve never played Hawaiian music before?
Then you’re in the perfect place! This course will teach you the fundamentals of the genre and how to take it to the next level.
Is it for High-g or Low-G?
In this course I try to teach for both high-g and low-G. That said, for the solo arrangements, it’s really helpful to have the extra notes of the low-G. You can use a high-g and make it work, but there might be a couple moments in one or two songs when you have to improvise a bit.
What is your background in Hawaiian music?
I’ve been playing Hawaiian music since my very first ukulele lesson at Hale Halawai in 2005.
From 2006-2014, I attended the Kahumoku ʻOhana Music & Lifestyle Workshop annually where I was able to study with Herb Ohta, Jr., the late Dennis Kamakahi, Kimo Hussey, Sonny Lim, John Keawe, Brittni Paiva, and, of course, the Kahumoku ʻohana – Keoki, George, and the late Moses. In later years I was an instructor myself!
In 2013, I graduated with honors from the Institute of Hawaiian Music at UH Maui college under the direction of George Kahumoku, Jr.
Along the way I’ve gotten to sit in on gigs with HAPA, the late Martin Pahinui, Sonny Lim, and others.
I’m currently a staff instructor at Uncle George Kahumoku, Jr.’s Slack Key & ʻUkulele Workshop. At the workshop I’ve gotten to know and jam with Uncle Led Kaapana, Uncle Kevin Brown, Jeff Peterson, Steven Inglis, and others, along with maintaining my friendship/mentorship with Herb, Uncle Sonny, and Uncle George.
I keep the music fresh in my hands and heart by gigging solo, with Keoki Kahumoku, and with Dagan Bernstein a couple times a month.
Will I get TABs for advanced fingerstyle solo arrangements?
No! This course encourages self-discovery and intuitive, Hawaiian-style playing and learning – especially for more advanced players.
I explicitly teach the melody and chords for each song via video lessons and TABs so they’re accessible to beginners.
When we move into the solo arrangement video lessons, I expect you to do some of your own work. I’ll walk you through how I play the arrangement and explain why I do things a certain way, but you’ll have to watch and listen and take notes in order to learn it yourself.
This “repeat after me” style of learning often takes a little longer, but sticks in your mind better. It also allows for you to make artistic choices and create arrangements that are unique to you and express what you want to hear.
Some folks might see this as the “hard way,” but in order to play Hawaiian songs authentically, you have to learn them Hawaiian style…! Plus, you will learn valuable skills and become a better musician faster.
Can I Use [XYZ uke tuning] For This Course?
This course is taught specifically for GCEA tuning. You can always transpose to take advantage of universal concepts, but that’s an even bigger project.
What If I Don’t Like It?
Then email me at brad@liveukulele.com and I’ll refund your money.